Old Coast Guard Station

A little more history for you on what was Seatack Station or more specifically on the neighborhood from which it got its original name. Seatack was named so because it was the point on the coast of rural Princess Anne County where the community was the target of cannonballs fired from British ships and was where troops came ashore during an attack in the War of 1812. The isolated stretch of beach place became known as "Sea Attack", and was gradually shortened to "Sea 'ttack", and then, finally to the portmanteau of, simply "Seatack". If you're wondering what exactly the British came ashore for they were trying to steal a few cows that were wandering in the dunes where the boardwalk would one day be. There are some people who will tell you the attack came in the 1700s; those people are wrong. It was most assuredly, during the war of 1812 based off of who confronted the British when they came ashore in the first place; the men who would go on a few years later to serve as the first members assigned to Seatack life-saving station number two Seatack men who were already fishing in the Atlantic Ocean & would pull people to safety after shipwrecks in the 1800's including the 1891 shipwreck of the Norwegian barque Dictator off the coast of Virginia Beach that would inspire the Norwegian ladies/sisters. In Norway, there is an exact replica of the one that we have here in Virginia Beach and the two are looking at one another across the vast expanse of the Atlantic hoping and praying for the safe return of a ship who fell victim to the high seas & now rests forever in the graveyard of the Atlantic. Free Black men of Seatack were life-savers before America ever established U. S. Coast Guard life saving stations and for almost 3/4th of a century were what protected those who met hazards at sea as well as cows who faced danger ashore. Virginia Beach & Kitty Hawk station wouldn't open until (1874-1915) - only Virginia Beach remains while the Kitty Hawk Station Located near Mile Post 4 1/2 on Beach Road; 1874 station is now the Station Six Restaurant; 1915 station a private home. Nags Head (1874-1912) - Last station destroyed in 1962 Ash Wednesday storm. Bodie Island (1878-1923) - Once called Tommy's Hummock. The modern Coast Guard, here in the United States, was created in 1915 by the merger of two other federal agencies. The first, the United States Revenue Cutter Service, founded in 1790 and known until 1894 as the United States Revenue-Marine, was a maritime customs enforcement agency that also assumed a supporting role to the United States Navy in wartime. The second, the United States Life-Saving Service, was formed in 1848 and consisted of life saving crews stationed at points along the United States East Coast. The Coast Guard later absorbed the United States Lighthouse Service in 1939 and the functions of the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection via a two-step process in 1942 and 1946. These days the Coast Guard is a branch of the military just as important as any of it's sister services & no longer falls under the Department of Transportation (DoT) as it once did except during times of war, when it fell under the Navy Department and eventually the Department of Defense(DoD) which is now its governing agency at all times. One last thing about SeaTack; its heart exists where the original SeaTack Fire/Rescue station#12 once was on the grounds where the SeaTack Rec Center now stands. SeaTack Station #12 was one of the first fire companies in the United States of America that was owned and operated entirely by African Americans. It remained that way from 1948 throughout the final days of Jim Crow and the station was even around when I first got to town on Feb 3, 1976; I was born at Beach General & I'm as local as the Boardwalk. Virginia Beach Fire/Rescue Station 12 now sits on S Birdneck right next-door to my third elementary school Birdneck Elementary which sits directly across the street from the new SeaTack Elementary; the original is where current & future members of the Virginia Beach, Police Department and Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office train and is also the home of one of Virginia Beach's hidden gems known as Pathways aka Virginia Beach Detox Center a place I hold in my heart because it was my city that took me in as the first military veteran who'd receive detox services at Pathways as opposed to the VA as had always been done previously. This March 16th will mark my 5th year of continuous sobriety so thank you Pathways, City of Virginia Beach, & of course the people of Seatack. Your first patient was a success & God willing I shall remain that way.

This place is awesome! Definitely Family and child friendly! Stop by and enjoy the Historic Life saving Museum quick tour and interactive activities . Its been 10 years since my last visit and the museum is unrecognizable because of all the renovations. Thank you VA Beach for keeping the tradition of lifesaving alive. Free for children under 17 and $5 for Military veterans.

Ghost tour!!!! We randomly came across this tour as we were walking the boardwalk.... a MUST SEE! Our lady (dressed in time authentic clothes) told us of the shipwrecks, and history of the area... she told of the ghost stories and of the interesting facts of the station as well.Only $10 for adults and well worth the time. It is a 1/2 block walk aprox and about 90 min long. Awesome time!

Well kept building and tour. Exhibits are informative and engaging, to include a photo stations with props. There's even a short scavenger hunt. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Would recommend for anyone, with or without kids.

This is a really neat little place because of the importance of it! It was the first Coast Guard building in the nation, and that's of quite significance. It's a few bucks to actually go on the tour there, but it was an awesome little place. Stop in and learn something interesting about our country while you're in town. It gives you a good perspective of what tough and unrelenting work it was to live by the ocean so long ago.

This is a small but history packed museum. It's certainly not an all day type of attraction, so if you're visiting from out of town, take an hour or so to check it out. As a local in Va Beach, I appeciated seeing the history of the city and it's relevance to WW2 and the Coast Guard.

The museum has a lot of cool history about the coast guard. Even though it's small it's definitely worth checking out.Would I recommend this?Yes

This place is scary. They follow you around and talk to you even when you don't want to be bothered. The old man watches you to make sure you don't touch anything. The build was turned 90 degrees to be saved and that was a total let down. Done dare ask about the tower or the smelly man will yell at you.

If you're a naval history buff, or just really want to know a lot about Virginia Beach, the Old Coast Guard Museum is a must see. The two story building steps from the ocean, has over 1,000 photos and more than 1800 artifacts such as letters, official records and journals documenting the history of the coast guard station that was once housed there. There's an interesting exhibit of the history of Famous shipwrecks and the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II bring some real excitement to this museum.

What a fun find! I wanted to take my kids to some fun places over spring break. I am glad we stopped in here. The kids were really in to the tour guide and everything he had to say. We all learned a lot about this area and the coast guard. It is a great little museum! It does have a small fee. You have the option of just walking through it or listening to the volunteer guide. I highly recommend you take the time to listen to the guide. Well worth it! The staff in the gift shop was super friendly as well. We ended up getting a super cool lighthouse puzzle! Love museum gift shops. I will be back again with family when they visit!